NHL

AP Sports WriterAvs, Devils, Leafs hoping home cookin' flips the momentumBy PAT GRAHAMDENVER (AP) Nathan MacKinnon is counting on 18,000 of his rowdy friends to give the Colorado Avalanche a little bit of an extra buzz.Maybe even throw Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne off his game.Trailing the top-seeded Predators...

Associated PressMarleau, Noesen each score 2 as Sharks top Ducks 4-2By GIDEON RUBINSAN JOSE,Calif. (AP) Patrick Marleau and Stefan Noesen each scored twice, and the San Jose Sharks beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-2 Monday night.Marleau moved past Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur and into a tie with Modano for...

Blue Jackets sign goalie Korpisalo to 2-year dealCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) The Columbus Blue Jackets signed All-Star goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to a two-year contract Friday worth a reported $5.6 million.Korpisalo, who turns 26 on April 28, set single-season career records in multiple categories - including games played, wins and...

AP Sports WriterThe constant for the Devils has been missing the playoffsBy TOM CANAVANNEWARK, N.J. (AP) If anyone needs the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft, it is the New Jersey Devils.After making the playoffs for 20 of 22 seasons, the Devils have fallen on hard times....

AP Sports WriterNow up to speed, Blue Jackets try to rebound against BruinsBy MITCH STACYCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Now that the rust has been knocked off, the Columbus Blue Jackets will try to even their second-round series with the Boston Bruins.Columbus had eight days off between sweeping Tampa Bay...

Johnny McKenzie, who won 2 Cups with Bruins, dies at 80BOSTON (AP) Johnny McKenzie, a rough-and-tumble right wing who helped lead the Boston Bruins to two Stanley Cup titles, has died. He was 80.The team says McKenzie died Saturday, citing its alumni department. A cause was not given.McKenzie...

AP Hockey WriterOilers' Green joins list of players opting out of NHL returnBy STEPHEN WHYNOEdmonton's Mike Green and Vancouver's Sven Baertschi are opting out. Dallas defenseman Roman Polak isn't reporting for now, and Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos isn't reporting at full strength.In the aftermath of a deal being...

Canadiens beat Lightning for 6th straight win in NHLMONTREAL (AP) Max Pacioretty scored the tiebreaking goal in Montreal's three-goal third period as the Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-1 on Thursday for their sixth straight win.Alex Galchenyuk and Torrey Mitchell also scored to help Montreal improve to...

Gretzky defends McDavid's outburst after star angeredPALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) As the primary target of opponents over his Hall of Fame career, Wayne Gretzky can certainly empathize with the frustration of Oilers star Connor McDavid.McDavid and Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Brandon Manning jostled all evening long in a 6-5...

AP Hockey WriterBeaulieu welcomed Montreal trading him to Buffalo SabresBy JOHN WAWROWBUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Understanding his days were numbered in Montreal, defenseman Nathan Beaulieu welcomed the trade that sent him to the Buffalo Sabres.Aside from getting a fresh start with a Phil Housley-coached team placing a value on...

Rangers hire Boston University's David Quinn as coachNEW YORK (AP) The New York Rangers hired Boston University's David Quinn as their new head coach Wednesday, the second college coach hired by an NHL team this month and third in the past four years.Quinn replaces Alain Vigneault, who was...

AP Hockey Writer'Flower' wilts: Golden Knights must play better for FleuryBy STEPHEN WHYNOGerard Gallant didn't consider pulling Marc-Andre Fleury as another game and perhaps the Vegas Golden Knights' Stanley Cup hopes slipped away.The struggles and another pile of Washington Capitals goals are on the entire team. Gallant couldn't pull...